Part of the Torre dei Conti collapsed just after 11.30 am (0930 GMT) with a portion of the facade, sending rubble into the street and a thick white cloud of dust into the air. The tower is in a busy area, just off the Imperial Forum and close to the Colosseum, Italy’s top tourist site.
Three workers inside the tower were evacuated, with one taken to hospital in critical condition, a spokesman for firefighters told AFP. But one worker remained trapped, an official from the mayor’s office told AFP. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli were present as firefighters cordoned off the street and moved back crowds.
An AFP reporter witnessed a second partial collapse at the tower about two hours later, again sending up billowing clouds of dust as rubble fell. With dust still in the air, firefighters used cranes to get to tower windows, while a drone entered through another window for an inspection.
One worker inside at the time of the first collapse told AFP he escaped from a balcony. “It was not safe. I just want to go home,” said the man, white dust covering his uniform, who gave his name as Ottaviano and his age as 67. The Torre dei Conti, dating from the early 13th century, was being restored with European Union funds.
